Catharsis in HamletAnonymous

Critic Northrup Frye has evaluated Hamlet as a play without catharsis, Ã,ÂÃÂÃÂa tragedy in which everything noble and heroic is smothered under ferocious revenge codes, treachery, spying and the consequences of weak actions by broken wills.Ã,ÂÃÂÃÂ While the play deviates from the traditional definition of catharsis as given by Aristotle in Poetics Ã,ÂÃÂ" Ã,ÂÃÂÃÂthrough pity and fear effecting the proper purgation of these emotionsÃ,ÂÃÂÃÂ Ã,ÂÃÂ" it nonetheless offers a strong purgation of feelings of disgust at the denouement of the play. The elements that Frye argues prevent catharasis are actually what generate the disgust necessary for catharsis to take place. This emotion is suddenly purged through heroism, virtue and restoration of the chain of being at the conclusion of the play.

Frye speculate that Ã,ÂÃÂÃÂferocious revenge codes, treachery, spying, and consequences of weak actions by broken willsÃ,ÂÃÂÃÂ intervene with catharsis, but on the contrary, they develop the feeling of disgust that needs to be purged. This differs with the Aristotelian definition of catharsis as purging pity (Ã,,ÃÂ¶Ã,ÂÃÂ»Ã,ÂÃÂµÃ,ÂÃÂ¿Ã,ÂÃÂ) and fear (Ã,ÂÃÂÃ,ÂÃÂÃ,ÂÃÂ²Ã,ÂÃÂ¿Ã,ÂÃÂ), but is a form of catharsis nonetheless, one that delivers a...